Digger CartwrightBesprekingen

Alex is a twenty-something year old business man who is grieving over the loss of a girl he thought was the love of his life. Shannon left him and he's been haunted with the memories they shared today and he desperately searches for her as he feels she completes his life.

He runs into some friends who convince him to try online dating, and this is where he meets Hope, a twenty-something French photojournalist. Hope opens up to Alex and tells him about how she's a virgin and plans on staying that way until her wedding day. Keep an eye on the things she says, because you'll soon realize she's crazy and everything she says leads up to the discovery of her crazy ways.

Things move really quickly and by the second date, Hope's mother, Charity tries to demand that Alex be tested for HIV by a doctor that she picked out. Immediately following this request she attempts to convince Alex to marry Hope.

At this point in the story, I'm a little confused on the direction this book is supposed to be making. My head is full of questions about Alex, in fact some parts of this book are just too extravagant to be believable.

As you read through the book, you will pick up on clues here and there, so you are constantly trying to plug in each clue in the great mystery of who Alex is. By the middle of the book, you'll be dying to finish the story to learn if Alex listens to his friends and gets out of the crazy relationship with Hope or will he follow through and see where Hope leads him.

I know I found myself yelling at the book for Alex to make the right decisions, but Alex is a curious man and everything he does is unpredictable and surprising.

Of course as a psychological thriller, you are thrown though many different loops that lead you down different paths, but I did not find this particular thriller to be a book I enjoyed. Although I was stuck in the story line and followed it through to the end, I did not understand a lot of Alex's ways, and found the confusion to be distracting. I found there to be an abundance of unanswered questions that will have your mind racing trying to solve everything at once. I will give this book a 3/5.

This book wasn't to terrible bad yet it wasn't to terrible good either. I did have a hard time getting into. I felt that it was very slow going, by the time I really got into it and wanted to see what happen next the book was over. I felt I wasted a lot of time reading the beginning of the book when I could have just read the end. I particularly didn't care for the ending of the book either, I felt here is where there should have been more (and maybe a little less up front).

Inspired by actual events, this book is about two men with a bond closer than that of brothers, though they could not be more different.

The author is invited to a high-class country club in South Carolina, to a meeting of Thinking Outside The Boxe (with an "e"). It's a non-partisan think tank with the intention of coming up with real, not "liberal" or "conservative," solutions to America's problems. The two people behind it are Robbie, a serious younger man who is always seen in a black three-piece suit, even while playing billiards at the local sports bar, and Sebastian, a very obese older man who knows everyone, and is the epitome of "larger than life." During a private round of golf, Robbie asks Cartwright to write a book giving Sebastian's view of life, without tellin Sebastian.

The book consists of a number of short stories, with Robbie and Sebastian at their local bar, having dinner, playing billiards and solving the world's problems. If you are not satisfied with the current condition of your life, are you going to do anything about it, or just whine and complain? Don't be upset if you can't be a whatever-you-studied-in-college; the world will always need plumbers and bartenders. Always give your personal best, no matter what; don't fear failure. Some things, and some people, in this world just can't be explained. If you ever find yourself in a position of strength, don't let go; you will never get it back. There will always be negative people in this world; don't let them drag you down. Showing anger toward others is a sign of weakness.Sometimes, it's best to swallow your pride. Never live your life for someone else, no matter who it is, but live it for yourself.

I know what you are thinking: not another self-help/motivation book! This one is different, and is much, much better than the average book. Instead of trying to tell the "right" way to live, Sebastian shows just how to do it. This is extremely highly recommended.

I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers because nothing turns out the way you thought it would. Digger Cartwright does a phenomenal job with The House of Dark Shadows. I thought I had everything figured out due to the clues he gave us along the way, but I was blown off course. The ending isn’t exactly what you expect nor is it your typical Hollywood ending, but it fits.

Alex Rommel has everything a bachelor could ask for. He’s successful at his job and quite the ladies man, but he’s missing the love of his life. Years ago Shannon left him and he’s been haunted with memories of her and desperately searches for her. He runs into an old university friend, Brad, at a café and Brad mentions how he’s met the love of his life. He introduces Lisa to Alex and when Alex inquires how they met, Brad tells him the internet. Alex is skeptical because you never know who is behind the screen, but needless to say he’s intrigued. As he prepares to leave the café he overhears Brad tell Lisa about the rumors surrounding Alex, he killed an ex-girlfriend; however, both of them disregard the rumors. Later that evening, Alex signs up for internet dating and meets the perfect woman, Hope. Little does he know he’s about to step into a tangled world of deception and the person he thought he could trust the most turns out to be his biggest enemy.

In terms of character development, it’s strong and the writing is engaging. Cartwright has a business background and he does a great job taking elements from the business world and incorporating them into the narrative. At times it was difficult to sympathize with Alex because he’s particular in his ways and yet when he first receives that phone call from Hope’s mother you can’t help but want to yell “run from the crazy Alex!” He has a trusted mentor, Thomas, but for the most part he was too closed off and only allowed a selected few into his inner circle of trust and ultimately this is where Alex went wrong. Alex also suffers from nightmares and in many ways foreshadows a lot of what happens to Alex and shows us what happened to Shannon. It’s Alex who refuses to look into it and it’s proof he’s a man running from his own demons.

In a day and age where you can virtually find any information about a person, I’m surprised Alex didn’t take the initiative to further look into Hope’s background. If the house on the street is the only one that doesn’t look right, search the house address and find out what you can. I remind myself had Alex done this, we wouldn’t have a story. I had all sorts of theories regarding Hope. At one point Alex is told Shannon was beaten to the point where she needed reconstructive surgery and a piece of me held out hope (no pun intended) that it was Hope. I’m not saying anymore about the plot, but I loved it.

There are some unanswered questions, but I just file them away as answered since the ending I believe confirms Alex’s suspicion when Thomas tells him, “you should have given them what they wanted.” Thomas calls this a mind-fuck when Alex asks him what everything around him is at that moment (I’m not saying what it is for fear of spoilers) and oh this book was definitely one.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers or looking to try a new genre, I highly recommend The House of Dark Shadows. I’ve never read Digger Cartwright before and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work.

I seem to be the only one who didn't care for this book...

I won this book through LibraryThing's Member Giveaway, and I want to also mention that this isn't generally the genre I read so take my review as you will.

Alex is a gorgeous, successful, self-proclaimed gentleman who has lost the love of his life through mysterious means. He is now working on a mysterious land investment deal in Hawaii where he is sure to make a ton of money if he can play his cards right. But he is having terrifyingly realistic dreams that seem to be playing into his real life. He tries to put his fears and prejudices aside and attempts to find a girl through an online dating site, and meets Hope. Marie, his sexy secretary/friend with benefits, warns against it but he doesn't listen.

He jumps in head first and starts to fall in love with mysterious Hope. But something isn't right. There are pieces of the story missing and something just doesn't feel right.

---------------------------------
Basically that is the story in a nut shell. I couldn't get into the story because I couldn't relate to the characters. The whole thing seemed like it was a day time soap opera (which, if you like soap operas then this book is totally for you).

All of the notes I took while reading are basically the same "I keep waiting for something to happen". It wasn't until 95% of the way through the book did I feel like anything substantial (read: interesting) was going on. Then it was over. But the ending wasn't even really that satisfying, in fact I thought it was rather cliche.

To be completely honest, I kept waiting for some kind of monster to appear in the story to liven it up. Sadly this didn't happen.

I received this book from Library Thing to read and review. This is a book filled with mystery and intrigue. Alex, who is having difficulty recovering from the loss of his love, Shannon, tries on-line dating after being convinced of how good it is by his buddies. He meets up with Hope, a French photojournalist studying in Atlanta. Hope is a traditionalist, which initially does not seen that odd but which later begins to make the reader wonder who and what she really is. A short time after meeting her, Hope’s mother Charity enters the picture and things begin to get bizarre. The author has added further intrigue about a property Alex owns in Hawaii, which a shadowy company wants. The story grows stranger and stranger as Alex becomes more entwined with Hope. Will Alex stay on in these strange circumstances or will he get out while he still can? I found this story very entertaining. Today, everyone is into on-line dating, which has changed the whole world of dating. However, very little is discussed about what happens if things do not go as intended or planned, which this book confronts. The story moves along quickly and easily. The characters are realistic, with a few exceptions, and the plot will suck you right in. This is a book for the 21st century reader, with a 21st century plot.

Would not recommend

I won this book from the Member Giveaways on LibraryThing.

I liked this book from the very beginning. As the book got going, it was a lot different than what I was expecting. The story centers on Alex, a 20-something businessman, who is still grieving over the disappearance of the love of his life. He meets up with an old college buddy, who is engaged to someone he met on the internet. They convince him to go online to start dating again. He does, and he meets Hope right away. After the 2nd date, Hope's mother, Charity, comes into the picture and pressures Alex into agreeing to marry Hope. The conversations between Alex, Charity and Hope become more and more bizarre, ultimately coming to a head and Alex confronts Hope. I don't think most people would hang in there as long as Alex did, especially after only having 2 dates with this person. In that sense, the story was a bit unbelievable, but it was a good story anyway. The story ends, not exactly how I pictured it, but somewhat close to it. I did like that the mystery was carried out until the end of the book, where everything became unraveled and everything made sense.

I did enjoy this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Murder at The Ocean Forest by Robert “Digger” Cartwright was a puzzle to begin with. I had just read The Ocean Forest, a book by Troy Nooe, about a murder at the same Ocean Forest. I must admit I was somewhat confused by the two recently published books with the same story line. I live in the area and had visited the Ocean Forest before it’s destruction in the 70’s. I always have an interest in local history and I was attracted to both books for that reason. As a local resident of Myrtle Beach I enjoyed the detail about the hotel and area, but I think the average reader is going to be slowed by all the area detail, characters, hotel description, etc. It took about half the book to have the “crime” committed. I guess I want a mystery to “catch” me early on and keep my attention throughout the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read the ebook, but feel three stars is all I can give.

I received this book free from Library Thing to read and review. Initially, I welcomed this book because I truly enjoy mysteries. However, as I read further and further into the book, I wondered when the mystery would start. The author describes just about everything in great detail, the characters, the hotel, the setting, their actions, etc. I wondered what his true intent was here. If it was to provide a good mystery, he definitely could have skipped a lot of the details because they didn't add that much to the story and bogged the reader down. The murder doesn't even occur until the book is half way through and even then the author continues to get caught up in all sorts of details that are not really pertinent to the murder. The main characters, a young couple who probably should not have even married, alternate between being people you would like to meet and spend time with and people you would prefer to hate and leave alone. The rest of the characters are equally both agreeable and hateful. The plot is good but is overshadowed by the minutia they author presents while setting and developing the scene. As the hotel detective delves into the murders to try to solve them, the author continues with details that are again interesting but not really germane or all that important. As I read the book, I wondered why he spent so much time on with these details. I guess a good editor would have pointed out how much they dragged on what is actually a good plot, encouraging the author to follow in the footsteps of other well known writers and write a more succinct story. If you want to really get a feel for the low country during the WWII era, this mystery will provide it for you. If you prefer not to get bogged down in a lot of detail but like a good, clean mystery, I suggest you pass on this one.

Murder at the Ocean Forest by Robert “Digger” Cartwright
Definitely a full length novel at 373 pages and intrigue all the way. Getting acquainted with the characters and the setting of the “scene” takes up the first 2-3 chapters and at first I found it difficult to get into the book because I don’t normally like long descriptions, however, that soon changed. I found the book very entertaining, gripping even, once I had the personalities identified and placed, and in fact hard to put down once I really got into it. The main characters pulled you in and kept you wondering; through twists and turns and just when you thought you knew what was going to happen, or who was responsible, you get side-swiped and left with clues leading in a totally different direction. I was hooked once the train arrived and the passengers arrived at the “Ocean Forest”, a resort for the “well-to-do” during the war and for those wanting to recuperate or just get away. Ulterior motives and vengeance play a large part and the author has you sitting on the edge of your “proverbial” seat until the end. The weaving of the characters’ lives together to reach the ultimate result and murder is very skilful. Set in South Carolina, America, the author portrays the etiquette and style of dress of the time so clearly, that the characters seem so real, almost as if you were actually watching them. Add a bit of mystery with a blind psychic and you have a really gripping and intriguing story. The book could use some more editing but it does not detract from the story in any way and some of it could be the use of local dialect and just my interpretations. I did enjoy the book immensely and I thank the author for the privilege of receiving a copy for review. I haven’t read any other works by the author but I will definitely keep an eye out for more. Highly recommended suspense-crime in my view.

MURDER AT THE OCEAN FOREST, set in the low-country of South Caroina during the early 1940s, presents a plethora of murder suspects. Re-creating small town characters who work in a post hotel in Myrtle Beach, this title is, among other things, a novel of manners. It describes the life style of those natives still blessed by family wealth (i. e. the children of plantation owner parents/grandparents) and of the other guests, often Europeans, who vacation at the Ocean Forest. Watched, evaluated, and even 'set up' by the hotel's resident security detective, each character appears to have motive and to be capable of murder. A disgruntled American couple, a blind telepath, an English general and his very proper lady, a southern preacher who illegally transports liquors - each are under suspicion as the murders mount. But, perhaps, the murderer is none of these people but is, instead, the 'Gray Man,' a familiar ghost who haunts the Ocean Forest and its environs.

I received this ebook from the author on Library Thing in exchange for a review. Thank you, Mr. Cartwright.

This is a murder/mystery set on the South Carolina coast during WWII. Guests are vacationing at a ritzy resort hotel, the Ocean Forest. The author gives much detail to just about everything in the novel especially the characters, their clothing, the scenery, the hotel and its lavish decor, and a nameless hurricane churning in the Atlantic Ocean for most of the book before finally coming ashore.

The head of hotel security enters the story about the middle of the novel after the first murder. From then on he is the protagonist as he tries to solve the first and additional murders. The investigation develops with lots of twists and turns.

The characters are memorable since the author took the time to fully develop them. I felt as though I really knew them as the plot moved along. However, at times it was a bit too slow moving for me since I am used to most murder/mystery novels moving along at break-neck speed!

Overall, Mr. Cartwright does a very nice job with this novel and I recommend it.

I won this book in a giveaway, thank you very much Robert "Digger" Cartwright. I didn't personally like this book, as much as I tried to get into it I just couldn't. Wonderful detail about the characters as well as the scenery, but moved extremely slow. A lot of twists and turns before the case is actually solved.

I really hoped to like this book because the author gave me the ebook for free. This was nice, Robert, and thanks for that again.

Unfortunately, I really didn't like this book for quite a few reasons. First of all, it starts extremely slowly - the entire first third mainly consists of annoying quarrelling between stereotyped characters:

- The snobby English lord and lady,
- the pious preacher,
- the American adventurer and his suffering wife.

One would expect to get to know them pretty well on more than 100 pages but, alas, they never rise above the cliché and don't develop at all (which they won't for the entire remainder of the book).

At their destination, they're joined by an elderly clairvoyant (more esoteric nonsense to follow), the obligatory ghostly figure and the hotel detective.

Not only are those characters stereotyped but they immediately jump to all kinds of conclusions: The lord and his lady are quick to judge and as quick in coming to yet another wild idea about life, people and everything. The pious preacher hates them all (and, in a sideline of story which the author seemingly completely forgot about at some point, is involved is shady deals for the greater good) and won't let them forget about it.

The adventurer and his wife basically swing between hating each other and trying to mend their marriage. Not that the reader would care because both are completely unlikable.

Meanwhile, the pompous, self-righteous, superstitious hotel detective will meander between suspects for the "Murder at the Ocean Forest", enlist the help of the clairvoyant and, after way too many pages, will eventually solve the mystery which an experienced reader will have done at about half-way through the book.

Why, I hear you ask? Because anyone who has read "classical" mysteries will have read it all before by way better writers. This completely overrated book has obviously been strongly inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and other famous authors. (Christie is even mentioned in the book...)

Agatha Christie, by the way, could have done this in half the length and with twice the suspense.

One of the major features is so worn out by now, it even has its own Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locked_room_mystery

I want to avoid spoilers here so I'll skip the references to other prominent works of different authors whose plot devices were reused here.

Of course, every character here is more or less connected to everyone else and there are plenty of oh-so-tragic events and/or experiences they shared or can at least relate to.

Really, stock up on Doyle and Christie, (re-)read those and don't waste your time with this book.

Set in the Nevada Territory just after the Civil War, this novel is about a family for whom things suddenly start going very badly.

The Maynwarings are one of the founding families in Carson City, the territory's capital. Barron, the family patriarch, is a United States Senator. They own several buildings in town, along with an immense cattle ranch outside of town.

A well-dressed stramger named Giddeon Van Thorn rides into town, and offers to purchase several businesses, including a saloon and the local mercantile, for a very generous price. Those who decline his offer have a nasty habit of ending up dead. Van Thorn says that he is part of a shadowy Association from back East, whose intention is to develop Carson City, bringing jobs and tax revenue (sound familiar?).

A neighboring rancher, Dan Arkin, is found dead, several hours after a poker game that went bad. Suspicion falls on Jeremy Foster, a recluse, and another participant in the ill-fated poker game. The Maynwarings set up a search party to ask Foster some hard questions; the circumstantial evidence against him is pretty strong. Several of Van Thron's thugs are unknowingly included in the search party. They reach Foster first, and lynch him, preventing the Maynwarings from following the law. The body count starts to rise. The local judge is in Van Thorn's pocket. Things get serious when anthrax is found in their cattle; it can wipe out an entire herd very quickly. Things get even more serious when one of Barron's sons, Houston, is shot and seriously wounded by an unknown assailant in broad daylight. Is all of this Van Thorn's fault, or is there some other explanation? Can Van Thorn's plans be stopped? Will the Maynwaring ranch survive?

The author does a very good job from start to finish. He puts the reader right in the middle of the story, and the characters feel like real people. Here is a first-rate piece of writing.

This author provides wonderful detail about the characters as well as the scenery. He offers details into the mannerisms of the characters that many overlook. It pulls the reader into the story from the beginning. The plot is easy to follow but offers twists and turns with every page turn. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers or a book with a well written plot!

This is a novel about an Internet romance that starts off very innocently. It quickly enters the realm of weird and bizarre.

Alex Rommel is a young, hotshot attorney in present-day Charleston, South Carolina, with a large hole in his heart. Not only did Shannon, his long-time love, break up with him, but she also moved to Brazil, with the intention of never being found by Alex. One day, he runs into an old college buddy with his new girlfriend, who he met on the Internet. They seem totally compatible and happy, so Alex, the last of the Internet dating skeptics, joins a dating site.

He gets an e-mail from Hope, a twenty-something French photojournalist who is living in Atlanta, and studying for her doctorate in international relations. She is a bit of a traditionalist, insisting that Alex come to Atlanta for their first date. The fact that she is gorgeous makes the travel very much worth it. She also lets Alex know that she is a virgin, and will stay that way until her wedding night. Hope does and says several things that, individually mean nothing, but when put together, mean that something is not right.

After their second date, Alex gets a phone call from Charity, Hope’s mother. First, she demands Alex be tested for HIV, in Atlanta, by a doctor of her choosing. Then, she wants to know when Alex is going to marry Hope. Right after that, she implies that Alex doesn't know how to satisfy a woman. In the meantime, Alex owns a piece of ocean front property in Hawaii, that a shadowy corporation named Xanadu Holdings wants very, very much. Alex learns that Xanadu is having him followed, because they know about him seeing Hope in Atlanta. Things are getting more and more bizarre, so Alex's friends encourage him to get out now, before it is too late. Does he listen to them, or does Alex see things through to the bitter end?

This is a really good cautionary tale about Internet dating. That person with whom you have a blind date could be just a jerk. He or she could also have ulterior motives of a very different sort. This one will keep the reader very interested

This is a murder mystery set in World War II-era South Carolina. It is about a husband and wife who would have been better off never getting married to each other.

Terence and Faye Underwood are traveling by train to the Ocean Forest, a very high-class resort right on the shore. Faye thinks that Terence is a serial adulterer, constantly looking for women with which to have illicit affairs, despite his constant protestations to the contrary. They are both members of high society, so divorce, let alone raising their voices in argument where others might hear them, is simply not an option; the scandal would be overwhelming.

A few days later, Terence goes off by himself quail hunting, while Faye goes horseback riding along the beach. Several hours later, the horse returns without her. A diligent search along the beach is made, led by Feltus le Bon, the hotel detective. Faye's red scarf, along with some blood, is found near a patch of quicksand. The next day, terence is coerced into showing Feltus exactly where he was hunting. It turns out to be just a few yards from the quicksand. It would have been very easy for Terence to shoot Faye with the shotgun he was carrying, and dump her in the quicksand, freeing him to have as many illicit affairs as he can handle. Things get complicated the next morning when, serving an arrest warrant on Terence, Feltus finds him in bed, murdered.

Investigating further, Feltus focuses his attention on Preacher Cooper, a priest involved in illicit activities, Elizabeth Bascomb, an elderly, blind psychic, and Lord and Lady Ashburn, visiting from England, all of whom have very good reasons for wanting Terence Underwood dead. Feltus tries several ways to ratchet up the pressure, hoping that the guilty party will crack. While all this is going on, the area is battered by a major hurricane.

This is a really good mystery, but I thought that it moved too slowly. The first death does not occur until almost halfway into the book. I understand what the author was trying to do, and totally agree that not all murder mysteries have to move at breakneck speed. The author certainly knows what he is doing; I guess I would have liked it more if the first half of the story moved a little faster than it did.